Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Stake Boosted by Quarry LP

Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 513.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 9,932 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,314 shares during the quarter. Quarry LP’s holdings in Masco were worth $721,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its position in Masco by 89.0% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of MAS stock opened at $60.41 on Friday. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $56.55 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.75. The business’s fifty day moving average is $68.19 and its 200-day moving average is $74.94. The stock has a market cap of $12.79 billion, a PE ratio of 16.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.05). Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. The firm had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Equities analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.31 dividend. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on MAS. Oppenheimer raised Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $71.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $65.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Barclays set a $71.00 price target on shares of Masco and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Masco from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $73.10.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This represents a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Masco Company Profile

Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products.